Darlek is 8 Years old!

Darlek is 8 Years old!

Yep, one of my little munchkins has reached 8 years old. She is still alive, healthy and very full of life. We must be doing something right. It’s good to remind myself of that sometimes. I’ve included some of the birthday cards I could find, apologies to relatives if your card isn’t here, Darlek has scattered a few in her room and I couldn’t find them all.

Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! You look a monkey and you act like one too! We sang the nice version to be honest so she had no reason to throw the cake at me.

Darlek wanted a puppy for her birthday. This was as close as she got…. Maybe in a few years when she can properly take care of one. Don’t tell Horace I said that.

It was a school day, so was a normal day really and I was worried it would be a bit of an anti-climax for her. You know how it is. They get so excited and I just didn’t know how we’d get the day to live up to her expectations. With a bit of thought, Horace and I worked something out. We bought a ton of ‘goodies’ so she could make her own special packed lunch in the morning so she had a birthday lunch break with posh sandwiches, an exotic yoghurt (one of those Corners yoghurts with crunchy biscuity balls), a Cheese string (which I don’t usually allow) and a nice fresh fruit smoothie. There were lots of other little extras she could add if she liked too. Darlek loved being able to make her own packed lunch and felt very grown up I think.

You see, we really do call her Darlek

The presents were all opened by about 8am, with wrapping paper and ribbon strewn all over the living room. She squealed and giggled when she opened her birthday card from us which featured a Darlek blowing up a pile of eggs and shouting ‘Eggsterminate!’ We bought her ‘Paranorman’ on DVD for a token present as we had a visit to ToysRUs and Pizza Hut planned for the weekend so she could choose her own present. The lucky girl got some clothes, a Zubber bracelet set, a Skylander bought by her brother and some money that she could spend at ToysRUs. She’s such a love, and grinned from ear to ear.

A beautiful card for a beautiful little girl. I’m biased, but I think she’s the cutest 8 year old in the whole wide world.

We also bought her one of those variety packs of breakfasts (you know those tiny packs of different cereals so she could choose her own) so she had Cocoa Pops to start the day. This is another banned breakfast cereal at our house. When both kids piled out the door to go to school, she turned to me and said ‘Mum, and you said that it wasn’t going to be very special!’ so she must have been impressed. It made me grin from ear to ear too.

There was a Darth Vader birthday badge on this which her brother tried to claim. We told him he wasn’t 8. He tried to tell us he was and sulked.

I had a hospital appointment in the afternoon so I couldn’t pick her up from school which wasn’t great. In fact Darlek was in tears the day before, asking me if I could change the appointment. I explained I couldn’t and felt terrible. Sis picked her up instead and she went to their house for tea where she was thoroughly spoilt and forgot all about feeling upset at me for not being there at hometime. When I went round to pick her up, all the kids had been fed hot dogs (on Darlek’s request), a chocolate caterpillar birthday cake with candles; there were helium balloons bouncing around the living room and she was as happy as a happy thing. Sis, you are a star!

Another puppy birthday card, but this one’s in a jumper. Aww….

So there we are, a record of the day. A written postcard for me to look back on when she’s a stroppy teenager requesting designer hundred quid trainers for a birthday present and sulking because they’re the wrong colour. It’s so sweet that even though we couldn’t do much for her due to the timing and prior commitments, that she still appreciated the effort that we made. Darlek gave us huge boa constrictor hugs after she opened her presents and said ‘Thank you!’

This is such an idyllic setting. Lovely! If we placed Darlek in the same setting she’d be up to her armpits in mud and and playing swordfights with the net.

They never grow out of teddies do they! Well, I never did. My old teddy still sits in my bedroom looking, old, faded and loved. I didn’t dare give him to either of my kids in case they ripped the ears off him.

This is a photograph of Darlek with her brother, just before they went to school. Sausage looks like he’s trying to get away, I think it was another of those boa constrictor hugs.

So, my darling Darlek is 8 years old. Today this blog is all hearts and flowers, I make no apology. My kids are the sunshine of my days and today I feel particularly proud of both of them. They must be wellard to survive our chaotic parenting techniques… Darlek has managed 8 years! That’s one tough cookie!